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Besides for a Super Bowl victory, this weekend couldn't have been better or more special for Colts fans.
On Saturday, two of the biggest contributors in franchise history - Marvin Harrison and Tony Dungy - were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2016. On Sunday, the greatest contributor in franchise history - Peyton Manning - won his second Super Bowl to likely ride off into the sunset as a champion.
"I told [Manning], today we need the trifecta," Harrison told the Indianapolis Star's Stephen Holder before the game. "You have myself and you have (Tony) Dungy (in the Hall of Fame). We need to top it off and get the trifecta for the city of Indianapolis this weekend, even though he's playing for Denver. It would mean a lot for me and my family and the city. So, I told him he needed to make that trifecta happen. It was short and sweet."
That trifecta that Harrison talked about was realized on Sunday night, as the Broncos defeated the Panthers in dominating fashion, winning 24-10 behind an incredible defensive effort. Manning was simply along for the ride, but as the confetti fell in the moments after the game, none of that mattered. In what was very likely his final NFL game, Peyton Manning had the storybook ending that so few get - he rode off into the sunset on top.
The Colts will have their moments with the new era, and probably a number of them. There's a real good chance that Andrew Luck and the Colts will get to at least one Super Bowl, and there will be plenty of time to celebrate the achievements of this current era. But this weekend was all about the past for the Colts and about celebrating the greatest era in franchise history. While the NFL celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl, the Colts celebrated the memories created by Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, Tony Dungy, and so many others. It truly was a special era, and that's what made it such a special weekend for Indianapolis and for Colts fans.
A perfect weekend for us. A Colts reunion and seeing Peyton win another ring! pic.twitter.com/5UTdoFfE0y
— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) February 8, 2016